Such a shame that Crosby and Ovechkin were the faces of the new post-2004/05 lockout era and became the hardliners of this lockout which coould potentially cancel the 2012/13 season.

I hate this world.

Crosby seems to just obsess about contract rights (arbitration/entry level stuff) now. Really, on those issues, its Bettman, not any players, who are being needlessly intransigent (ie hardliners).

Keep thinking of a Garrioch article where he spoke with 3 anonymous governors about contract changes. All 3 said they don't like back-diving deals, but that, other than that, contract changes "mean nothing to me."

There's no question in my mind, though, that Ovechkin's one of the guys driving the bus on the economic issues that keep manifesting themselves in PA offers as de-linked proposals.